


Save The Date

by ralf



Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alec Lightwood Loves Magnus Bane, Domestic, Ensemble - Freeform, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Happy Magnus Bane/Alec Lightwood, Humor, Kinda, M/M, Magnus Bane Loves Alec Lightwood, Surprises
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-01
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-04-06 00:20:51
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 5,276
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19051462
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ralf/pseuds/ralf
Summary: “So. Thursday,” Alec says meaningfully over the last of their home-cooked dinner.“Yes?” Magnus asks when he doesn't continue, wondering if there is a holiday or anniversary that slipped his mind but comes up empty. “Do you have any plans for us?”Alec seems surprised by this, if his blink and little frown is anything to go by, but presumably in a good way because he follows it up with a small smile. “Would it be okay if I did?”





	1. Chapter 1

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have no idea what this is and why it got so long, but it is what it is (says love) ;)

“So. Thursday,” Alec says meaningfully over the last of their home-cooked dinner.

“Yes?” Magnus asks when he doesn't continue, wondering if there is a holiday or anniversary that slipped his mind. He comes up empty. It's not their regular date night and he can't recall any unscheduled appointments regarding their work and he also can't remember Alec mentioning next Thursday before now. Did Alec tell him and he forgot? He can't really imagine that.

“Do you have any plans for us?” Magnus inquires.

Alec seems surprised by this, if his blink and little frown is anything to go by, but presumably in a good way because he follows it up with a small smile. “Would it be okay if I did?”

His tentativeness leaves Magnus even more confused. It's not like Alec to be _that_ cautious about making plans for them. “Of course.”

“Really? You sure?” Alec asks, his smile widening.

Magnus shrugs, helpless to respond to Alec's smile with anything but one of his own. “Why wouldn't I be?”

“I thought...” Alec bites his lip nervously. “It doesn't matter. I...” He trails off, visibly pondering something before making a decision. He meets Magnus's gaze with determination. “I wanted to surprise you, but more than that I don't want to make you uncomfortable by springing something on you, so.. if I invited a few of your friends over, maybe for dinner.. would that be alright?”

Magnus nods automatically, now surer than ever that he's missing something. He'd thought Alec was gearing up to confess an extravagant date idea of his, not a homey get-together with friends. “What's the occasion?”

Alec laughs, those sweet laughing lines crinkling around his eyes. He leans in to kiss Magnus's cheek, and doesn't reply.

It's alright, Magnus figures. He can live with a little secrecy on Alec's part. It's only a few days til Thursday, so he'll get his answer soon enough.

 

~ ~ ~

 

Thursday morning greets him with warm rays of sunshine and Alec peppering gentle kisses all over his face.

Magnus hums, pleased, eyes still closed. He could stay like this forever.

“How are you?” Alec whispers against his cheek.

Magnus barely needs to think about his answer. “Fantastic.”

He can feel Alec's smile on his skin. “We still on for tonight then?”

Magnus draws back the tiniest fraction and blinks his eyes open. “Yeah, sure.”

Alec rewards him with a soft kiss to his lips, slow and deep and full of love, and Magnus lets his glamor slip, not so much dropping it but rather not fighting its dispersion.

“When do you need to be at the Institute?”

Alec's breath hitches when he catches sight of his cat eyes and Magnus knows that no matter his answer Alec will be late today.

 

~ ~ ~

 

When Magnus portals back home from a reclusive client he visited in L.A. he immediately notices someone's presence inside his wards along with some incriminating clattering from the kitchen. A stifled cursing followed by more clattering tells him it's Alexander, though what he might be up to Magnus has no idea. He goes to investigate but has barely taken a step towards the kitchen when Alec beats him to it, entering the loft's main room.

“Magnus,” he greets him with a smile. “Knew I heard something.”

“I could say the same thing,” Magnus smirks. He takes in Alec's appearance while walking over for a more thorough greeting. “I didn't know we had an apron.”

Alec plucks at one of its straps. “I don't even know why I'm wearing this. Izzy suggested it. She said it'd put me into the right mindset and improve my cooking by at least fifteen percent.”

Magnus laughs and leans in for a smiling kiss. “Speaking of which... what are you cooking?” He peeks into the kitchen but Alec hastily blocks his view with his body.

“That's a surprise. But you'll like it.” He frowns and adds, “I _hope_ you'll like it.”

“I'm sure I will. Any chance you'll tell me what the special occasion is now? Because when you said we'd have guests over I thought we were going to order something, not that you'd go to the length and cook yourself.”

Alec snorts. “You're hilarious.” He shakes his head fondly before gesturing back to the kitchen. “I'm almost done, I just need a couple more minutes. Can you wait here?” He looks unsure, as if Magnus could ever refuse him.

“Of course,” Magnus agrees easily, patting Alec's shoulder. “You take care of the food and I'll take care of the seating arrangements. How many people are we expecting?”

Alec grins at him. “Don't worry, I have it covered. You just sit there and relax.”

“Okay.” Magnus watches Alec retreat into the kitchen before looking around the main room. He does sometimes conjure them a large breakfast table but it's far from a permanent fixture and the small table in the corner that is doesn't fit more than four people.

Walking farther into the loft he catches sight of a long table set for nine that he has never seen before. He steps closer curiously, prodding at it with his magic but it seems to be a perfectly normal if pretty old table, neither conjured nor magically manufactured.

Magnus wonders more than ever where Alec got it from. The same goes for the dishes and cutlery because it sure isn't Magnus's. It looks decent enough but cheap and well-used. There's a tiny vase near the head of the table with a single white rose in it. That, at least, Magnus recognizes because Alec has a knack for showing up with flowers he bought or picked on his way home, and this one is from yesterday. Magnus is just contemplating if he should get himself a drink or if he should wait for their dinner when Alec leaves the kitchen, without apron this time but with a small smile, seeming less on edge than before.

“I'm all finished.” He glances at the clock and bites his lip. “I have something for you.”

“Oh?” Magnus asks, pleased surprise fluttering in his chest. No matter how many gifts Alec gives him, the feeling never quite goes away. Magnus hopes it never does.

“Yeah.” Alec walks over to one of the side tables and picks up an inconspicuous flat black jewelry box and hands it to Magnus. Magnus weighs it in his hands and takes a moment to look at Alec, who smiles at him, nerves and anticipation in his eyes. “Open it.”

Magnus complies and there, nestled on dark lining is a necklace with an intricate snake pendant, and a ring. The ring is designed to look like a snake as well, head and tail perpendicular to the rest of it so they'd be resting along the finger if worn.

“To match your ear cuff,” Alec explains. “I couldn't decide so I got both.” He shifts from one foot to the other. “Do you like it?”

Magnus looks from the jewelry to the even more precious man in front of him. “I love it, Alexander. They're beautiful.”

Alec smiles at him, easily putting the shine of the jewelry to shame. “I'm glad you do,” he says and leans in for a short but sweet kiss. “Happy birthday, Magnus.”

What.

“What?” Magnus asks but is interrupted by a portal opening next to the hallway.

“Yesss, perfect timing,” Alec mumbles beside him as Catarina and Madzie step through the swirling purple, followed by Maia, Luke, Simon and finally Clary and Isabelle.

Madzie immediately makes a beeline for Alec who crouches down and initiates a complicated looking hand clapping ritual. Magnus quickly magics the jewelry box to his nightstand when Luke walks up to him and holds out a fine bottle of scotch to him. “For the birthday boy,” he declares with a wide amicable grin.

“Uhm, thanks,” Magnus answers, hiding his confusion while trying to figure out what led to the collective misconception that it's his birthday. He frowns. Not collective, because he knows for a fact that at least Cat is aware his birthday isn't until December.

He catches her gaze and she smirks at him, hanging back while Maia comes up next, presenting him with a canning jar of imported olives that she claims add an exotic flavor to martinis that he will love.

Next are Izzy, Clary and Simon. Magnus accepts wrapped gifts and good wishes from them as well, feeling a little unsure how to proceed. Simon is staring at him with unveiled excitement, eyes darting from his gift in Magnus's hand to his face with a definite air of expectation. Is he supposed to open them _now?_

He's still debating that when Alec thankfully remembers his responsibilities as a host and starts herding everyone towards the table.

Magnus uses the general ruckus of the others finding their seats to vanish the gifts to the bedroom and sidle up to Catarina. “You knew about this. For,” he squints at her, calculating how long it usually takes her to shuffle her shifts around to clear a particular evening, “probably the past week.”

Cat gives an affirmative hum, not even trying to pretend otherwise.

“And you didn't think to mention to Alexander that today isn't actually my birthday?”

Cat visibly fights a smile. “You should have seen him. He came by two weeks ago, telling me about his plan to surprise you. He was so excited.” She shrugs. “What was I supposed to do? Crush his dreams and tell him he'll have to wait another seven months to throw you a birthday party?” She laughs. “I'm not that cruel.”

Magnus snorts in amusement. They both know Cat can be absolutely ruthless if need be.

Cat smiles innocently and adds, “Besides, if there's one person that deserves two birthday parties in a year, it's you.”

Magnus's heart throbs with emotion at that and he blinks at Catarina, unsure how to put into words the gratitude and affection he feels. He's graciously saved from trying when Madzie calls out for Cat to take the place next to her. Cat shoots him a fond smile and bumps his shoulder before going to her, and Magnus knows she heard him loud and clear despite his lacking eloquence.

Alec appears at his side again, gently touching his arm on his way past. “Sit down, I'm just getting the food.”

Magnus glances at the table where the others are settling down in their chairs, and follows Alec into the kitchen instead. He watches Alec fiddle with the dishes, pouring rice into a ceramic bowl that will look nicer on the table than the stained pot. When Alec notices him a shy smile appears on his lips and a few rice grains sprinkle to the floor.

“I invited Tessa and Raphael too, but they couldn't make it. Raphael said I should ask him again in December.” He sounds more than a little bemused and Magnus fights to keep a straight face. “I hope you don't mind that I invited Izzy and Clary instead. I know it's not the same, but you always go shopping with Izzy and you have a soft spot for Clary, so I hoped it'd be alright.”

He's finished pouring the contents of another pot into a second bowl and pauses to look at Magnus searchingly.

“Of course it is,” Magnus readily assures, before he frowns. “Wait, does that mean your parabatai isn't coming?” When Jace hadn't shown up Magnus had assumed he was just running late.

“No,” Alec answers, as if that should be obvious. At Magnus's apparent confusion he elaborates, “I know you two try to get along for me, but he's hardly a _friend_ of yours, is he? And this evening is just for you.”

The confession that today isn't his real birthday lies heavier on his tongue than ever before, but Magnus knows Alec will inevitably beat himself up over what he'll no doubt view as a failure on his part, and he doesn't deserve to feel self-deprecating about all the effort he put into this evening. But since Magnus also can't let this sit there he decides to settle on a different shade of the truth. “He's important to you and you are important to me, so. You would have been more than welcome to invite him. I wouldn't want to keep you two apart.”

Alec looks conflicted for a millisecond before relief takes over. “You'd really be okay with it if he joined us?”

Magnus nods, a smile spreading across his face when Alec immediately fishes his phone out of his pocket.

“He was so sad when I didn't invite him,” Alec confesses, fingers flying over the screen. “He tried not to show it but I could feel it.”

Not for the first (and certainly not for the last) time Magnus wonders what it's like to be wholly unable to hide any kind of emotion from someone else. He imagines it to be disconcerting, but then he remembers how good Alec has become at reading him, and that's never felt oppressive. Only comfortable and familiar.

Alec puts his phone aside. “Jace will text me when he's ready, could you open a portal for him then? If he comes on foot he'll miss the dinner. Apropos,” he grabs one of the bowls, “I should get this outside.” He zeros in on the other bowl, no doubt contemplating if he should try and carry both at the same time or go twice, and Magnus delights a little too much at his cutely perplexed expression when both bowls vanish from sight in a flurry of blue sparks.

Alec's empty hands twitch before he turns accusing eyes on Magnus. “You're the guest of honor, Magnus, you shouldn't be working.”

Magnus hums, stalking closer. “Maybe a little work is worth a minute alone with the cook?”

“Everyone's waiting for us,” Alec protests, his statement severely undermined by the fact that he closes the distance between them himself, sliding an arm around Magnus's shoulder.

Before things can get interesting though, Alec's phone buzzes with a text.

“Wow, he's already done,” Alec says after checking it.

_Of course that was Jace_ , Magnus laments internally. _Who else has timing like that?_

“Is it too late to retract my invitation?” Magnus grumbles even as he's summoning a portal. Not a moment later Jace stumbles through, looking around for a moment for orientation, before focusing on Alec. “You missed me even quicker than I thought.”

Magnus huffs. “Not really. I hope for your sake that you got me a killer birthday present.”

Jace's gaze flickers to him. “Of course. Here,” he says, unearthing a crumpled piece of paper from his pocket that he apparently just finished writing ten seconds ago if the smudged ink is any indication.

Magnus raises his eyebrows. “And what is _that_.”

“A voucher.”

“For what, a car wash?” Magnus quips unimpressed.

Of course his wit goes right over Jace's head. “You have a car?”

Magnus waves him off.

“Anyway, it's not for a car wash, it's for--” Jace breaks off, casting Alec a nervous look. “I can't tell you with Alec right there, he'll kill me.”

“ _Jace_ ,” Alec immediately grouses.

Amazing, Magnus marvels, how swiftly the tables have turned because now he's the one grinning broadly while Alec is scowling.

Jace raises his hands innocently. “You said we should get Magnus awesome presents and this was the most awesome thing I could think of.” He pushes the paper into Magnus's hand and bounds out of the kitchen before Alec can lunge at him.

Alec sighs long-sufferingly and makes to follow him, giving Magnus the perfect opportunity to peek at the paper.

_Access to my memories of Alec's worst spider mishap_ , it reads in Jace's scrawly hand.

Magnus suppresses a delighted laugh because Alec is frustratingly uptight about embarrassing stories that feature him as the main character.

He hurries to catch up with Alec, reaching the table in time to see Jace forlornly lingering at the foot of it since they're short one place setting. Magnus snaps his fingers to expand the table for one more. Normally he'd tease Jace before helping him out, but with that present of his he gained some of Magnus's goodwill.

Jace takes his place with a grin in Magnus's direction, and he and Alec head to their seats at the opposite end.

“I can't believe you didn't wait for me to begin eating,” Magnus huffs with mock offense at Luke, who's currently shoveling a forkful of food into his mouth.

Luke looks ready to come up with some defenses for himself but Maia beats him to it. “When you two left for the kitchen and the bowls of food appeared on their own we thought this was supposed to be a hint not to wait for your return.”

Alec flushes beautifully while Magnus laughs. “That's fair.”

Alec turns to him in betrayal. “Fair?!” His gaze darts to Madzie who is currently piling salad onto her plate. “There are innocent ears listening in,” he whispers furiously with a sharp look at Maia.

“Are you talking about yourself?” Izzy calls from the end of the table, which sends Clary and Jace into a fit of giggles. Alec looks ready to reprimand them when he realizes Luke is also holding back a laugh. That seems to be too much for him because he turns back to his plate, grumbling to himself. “Maybe this dinner was a stupid idea,” he mutters under his breath and even though Magnus is fairly sure he doesn't mean it, the need to reassure Alec is there.

He bumps his knee against Alec's. “It really wasn't.”

“Yeah?” Alec asks. There's a tentativeness hidden in his tone that makes Magnus's heart squeeze with fondness.

He lets his eyes roam over the table, where most of his close friends are gathered together, caught in laughter and easy chat, before glancing back at Alec who's watching him with careful expectation.

“It's absolutely wonderful.”

 

~ ~ ~

 

The evening passes in a blur of smiles and warm conversation. After the main course - which tastes delicious, as Magnus and the other's vehemently attest, much to Alec's delight - there's tiramisu. Madzie keeps raining sprinkles on everyone's plates which earns her more than a few enthusiastic compliments.

Once they've finished dinner they start drifting away from the table. Magnus finds himself tucked away in a corner with Cat. It's been too long since they've been in each other's spaces without a crisis hanging over their heads. He's missed this more than he realized and he silently vows to take the time and meet up with her on a more regular basis. Lounging on the couch with just the two of them makes Ragnor's absence ache between them, but they find solace and joy in shared memories of him.

Jace and Madzie unexpectedly hit it off. He talks to her with a broad smile, crouched on the carpet beside her, coaxing the occasional giggle from her. Clary, Izzy and Maia are crowded together, whispering animatedly and gesturing wildly, a suspicious cackle escaping one of them from time to time.

Alec is left to entertain Simon and Luke and considering the furtive, help seeking glances he keeps sending Magnus, and Simon and Luke's smug grins it seems they've teamed up to tease him mercilessly. Magnus blows him a kiss and a wink, relishing the resulting tiny pout he gets in answer.

When the Shadowhunters start trickling out because they have an early patrol Magnus notes it's way later than he thought. Catarina bids farewell soon after, Madzie fast asleep on her shoulder. Maia and Luke hang around a little longer, just like Simon who claims to be made for the night, even though his continued yawning proves him a liar. Before long they're on their way, too, the door closing behind them with a dull thud.

A muted, peaceful silence settles over the loft, which Alec breaks with a deep sigh. He leans into Magnus's side, settling his head on Magnus's shoulder and lets out a breath. Magnus pats his hair. “Are you beat?”

Alec nods against his neck. Magnus smiles fondly. With another deep sigh Alec straightens again and looks over to the table balefully. “I should still clear the table though, so I don't have to do it tomorrow.”

Before he can so much as take a step towards it Magnus clicks his fingers and all the dishes are stacked neatly, squeaky clean. “Maybe I'd rather you dedicate _me_ the last of your energy,” he teases when Alec turns to him, reproach for daring to “work” on his “birthday” ready on his lips.

Alec huffs a laugh. “Alright, you win this one.”

Magnus hums, content, and takes Alec's hand to lead him back to their room. “You know what I've been wondering the whole evening?”

“What?”

“How did you get that table here without a portal? Where did you even get it?”

Alec scratches his head with his free hand. “It's from the Institute. Izzy helped me bring it here.”

Magnus frowns, no closer to enlightenment. “How? Did you carry it?”

When Alec just nods sheepishly Magnus feels his jaw drop. The table is huge. Magnus can't even imagine what a spectacle Alec would have made of himself, carrying it through the bustling streets of New York.

“You know that I have a strength rune and a glamor, it was no problem.” Alec crosses his arms defensively.

“And what did you need Izzy's help for?” Magnus asks, still reeling.

“Well,” Alec hedges. “She helped me navigate through the streets so I wouldn't hit unsuspecting mundanes over the head.”

Magnus stares at Alec for a frozen second before he starts giggling helplessly. That mental image is everything. “Oh Alexander, please never change,” he snickers.

Alec tries to pout but in the face of Magnus's infectious laugh he can't fight a smile. “I'll give it my best shot.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You can bet your ass Jace was drowning in self-pity at the Institute, already booted and spurred and ready to go, just on the off chance me might get a belated invite. Soft boy.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For anyone who doesn't know yet, Magnus's canonical birthday is December 8th and Alec's is September 12th. I stuck with those dates, which in combination with the show's timeline (the show's events start in late August) means that at this point in time they've been dating for a little more than a year.  
> Also thanks to the 17 (ahahaha) people who apparently liked the first part of this fic enough to subscribed to it. Hope you like this second part, too :)

“You know what's strange?” Cat asks, lazily swirling her scotch around the glass before taking a long sip.

Magnus almost chokes on his martini. Nothing good ever comes of it when Cat uses that tone on him.

“No,” he says as casually as possible even though he instantly remembers at least ten things that he feels vaguely guilty about.

Cat raises an eyebrow at him, clearly not buying a word. “Back in May when Alec thought it was your birthday he came to me two weeks in advance to tell me about his dinner idea and ask my opinion. And now, less than a week before your actual birthday he hasn't so much as hinted at anything he might be planning.”

Magnus carefully places his glass on the side table, focusing on the task as if it requires all of his attention. “That's quite strange indeed.”

Cat waits until the silence between them has become truly damning before shaking her head slowly. “I can't believe you, Magnus. _Why_ haven't you told him?”

He shifts under Cat's inquisitive gaze. “It slipped my mind.”

Her eyebrow rises even higher. “Oh _really?_ And let me guess, you didn't remember during the two months you agonized if you should organize a surprise party for Alec's birthday either.”

He adjusts his ear cuff. “Exactly.”

Cat cocks her head. “Come on, Magnus. I know you. Why are you hesitating to tell him?”

“Who says I'm hesitating,” Magnus mumbles, knowing deflecting isn't even worth a try but unable to stop himself anyway.

“Magnus.” Cat sounds mostly fondly exasperated, but there's an undercurrent of worry in her voice. When he turns to look at her there's a concerned frown marring her brow. It pulls an honest answer from him effortlessly.

“I couldn't tell him after the dinner. He was so happy with it even days after. Knowing he got the date wrong would have crushed him. And then it really slipped my mind.” He reaches for his martini again to have something to fiddle with.

Cat hums. “And let me guess, in September you were too wrapped up in your own planning?”

She knows him too well. She's often teased him that he developes a one-track mind when it comes to putting together a celebration.

He shrugs because he can't really deny it. “And when I remembered again a week ago I knew it was too late to tell him.”

“Too late?” she inquires.

Magnus's lips curl around something that's definitely not a pout. “You know how he is. He'll want to set something up, but the time will be too short and it won't work. And then he'll be _sad_.”

He can see that it takes literal decades off of Cat's life to keep a straight face. He crosses his arms petulantly. “It breaks my heart when he's sad.”

Fondness sparks in Cat's eyes. “I know, Magnus. But you know you can't keep it from him forever, right? He'll find out one day.” She tilts her glass at him. “And I don't want to imagine how sad he'll be if he realizes he _missed_ your birthday without even knowing.”

Magnus blinks, dumbfounded. Somehow he hadn't thought that far ahead. “Oh. Oh no.”

“Besides, I don't think you give him enough credit.” She winks at him. “When he realizes he only has four days left to pull something together he'll be way too stressed out to be sad.”

 

~ ~ ~

 

The sun slowly creeping up the horizon is sending mocking little tendrils of light towards him, Magnus is sure. He's too painfully aware that every second ticking by is a second less for Alec, but he can't bring himself to disturb Alec when he's still sleeping, just like he couldn't bring himself to confess his secret last night after Cat left.

Maybe it wouldn't be too bad to let it all slip by quietly this year and save the reveal for a more opportune moment. Technically they've passed one of Magnus's birthdays already. Things had still been pretty fresh back then and since they'd missed Alec's birthday as well Magnus hadn't thought of mentioning it.

He contemplates Alec's peaceful features and imagines deep lines of strain appearing, replacing the calm. He doesn't want to be the reason for that.

Of course then he remembers Catarina's parting words from yesterday. _“Stressed Alec or Sad Alec,”_ she'd whispered when they'd hugged goodbye. _“Choose wisely, Magnus.”_

Magnus scowls. Damn her and her cursed reasonability.

“Can feel you staring,” Alec rasps sleepily, blinking an eye open. “Something on your mind?”

A small smile forms on Magnus's lips despite his internal haggling. “Maybe.”

“Hmmm tell me.” Alec's eye falls shut again but he shifts his head closer to Magnus, indicating he's listening.

Magnus opens his mouth but the words don't come out. After a second of floundering he settles on a slightly different course. “I was just wondering... you never told me how you knew my birthday.”

Alec opens his eyes, clearly surprised at that. Magnus can't blame him since the question comes half a year late.

“I...” Alec clears his throat, the tiniest blush appearing on his cheeks. “I looked it up in the Institute's database.”

It's so obvious in hindsight that Magnus marvels how he never guessed it himself. He knew Alec couldn't have gotten it from one of Magnus's friends since they all know his real birthday. And he's a Shadowhunter. Of course he'd rely on Shadowhunter sources of knowledge.

“How did they come by this information?” he asks absentmindedly. The wrong date must have come from _somewhere_.

“A birthday party invitation of yours was found. From the early twenties, I think. It's filed away somewhere in the archive,” Alec supplies unexpectedly. At Magnus's astonishment he elaborates, “We keep track of our sources very carefully. Unreliable information is worse than no information.”

“That's... true,” Magnus concedes while wracking his brain if a century ago he really celebrated his birthday in May and why. He comes up empty. His memory of pretty much the first half of the twentieth century is rather... hazy.

Alec bites his lip, mistaking Magnus's pensive frown for disapproval. “I'm sorry. I guess it's a little messed up that we collect so many details about you. About Downworlders in general. It's not like your date of birth holds any significance before the law... or like we need a million pictures of how you spend your law-abiding free time.”

That last bit is mumbled so quietly Magnus almost misses it. “What?”

Alec blinks at him abashedly. “Nothing.”

Magnus squints at him. “You definitely said that the Insitute has a million pictures of me.”

“Don't worry, you look great in all of them,” Alec tries to reassure.

He realizes his mistake the same moment Magnus does. Alec's eyes widen in horror while Magnus's widen in delight.

“You looked at them. You looked at _all_ of them.”

“I didn't,” Alec claims, blushing furiously.

“I'm not sure I believe you, Alexander,” Magnus teases.

Alec deflates. “Maybe I looked at some of them,” he grumbles.

Magnus bites back a smile. “You'll have to show me sometime.”

“Actually...” Alec shrugs. “I could show them to you now if you want. I just need my pad.”

It's a tempting offer and Magnus has to bite his tongue to keep from taking it. As much as he wants to, he knows that he needs to fess up before his crumbly determination leaves him completely.

“That sounds lovely.. but I need to tell you something first.”

“Okay.” Alec rolls onto his side so they're face to face.

Magnus takes a deep breath. “It seems all the track keeping of sources didn't prevent some unreliable information from slipping into the Institute's database. My birthday isn't actually in May.”

Alec blinks at him. “When is it then?” he asks, a concentrated crease in his brow.

“It's...” Here goes. Magnus braces himself. “In four days. On the eighth.”

Alec blinks some more. “Oh... okay.”

Magnus waits, but Alec says nothing else. He just keeps looking at Magnus as if he's prepared for more to follow.

For a few heartbeats the silence stretches between them, then Magnus carefully, guiltily ventures, “You're taking this.... exceptionally well.”

Alec's lips quirk. “Why, what did you expect?”

Now it's Magnus's turn to blush. “Well, I.. I kind of figured......”

“I'd freak out?” Alec's smile widens.

Magnus's lack of an answer speaks for itself. Alec chuckles and reaches out to tangle their fingers between them. “I mean, I know where you'd get that idea.”

“So you're not freaking out,” Magnus asks, just to make sure.

Alec laughs. “No, I'm not.”

“Okay, great... uh, why?”

Alec laughs louder. “Well....”

Magnus squeezes his fingers. Alec meets his gaze with sparks in his eyes and an easy smile on his lips.

“If you'd caught me completely off-guard I'm sure I _would_ be freaking out, a little bit. But since your birthday, or what I thought was your birthday, is coming up soon anyway I have something up my sleeve already.”

Magnus is stunned speechless for a moment. “Alec, it's December. May isn't for another six months. You're aware of that, right?”

“I like to be prepared.” Alec shrugs. “With a few minor adjustments I should be able to prepone my plans.”

Magnus shakes his head slowly. “You, Alexander, are a work of art.”

Alec's answering smiles is almost blinding. “You too.”

Helplessly endeared Magnus leans in to steal a kiss. “Since when have you had those plans of yours, if I may ask?”

“A while.” Alec's breath brushes over Magnus's lips.

“And what are they?”

Alec smirks. “Nice try.”

“Nice enough for you to tell me?” Magnus asks coyly.

“Not even close.” Alec plants a tiny kiss on Magnus's nose. “They'll be your surprise.”

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Note that was formerly under the first chapter but got relocated for spoilery reasons:
> 
> working title: the one where the institute's data base is wrong about magnus's birthday lol  
> ralf: ...................  
> ralf: you realize you don't actually mention this in the fic, right. that this is where alec gets the idea that it's magnus's birthday.  
> me: *crying* yeah  
> ralf: you had one (1) job for this fic. one. and you failed.  
> me: *wails* *runs away*
> 
> .........yeah. At some point I'll have to add a second chapter where Magnus and Alec have The Birthday Talk.
> 
>  
> 
> FYI in the gallery of Magnus-Pictures in the Institute's database there's a whole subfolder dedicated to Magnus with his cat eyes exposed (since they're his warlock mark). One of Alec's first acts as Head of the Institute was putting a password on that folder.  
> Edit: ^This is now a fic which you can find [here](https://archiveofourown.org/works/20098375) :)


End file.
